I'm AFRAID For SKULL MERCHANT

I am scared...


This killer is weak to begin with but she has AMAZING ADDONS. (Every killer should)


I think BHVR released her with add-ons that should be the standard only to nerf her in the coming months. Survivors are crying and the cries are getting louder every day. I didn't buy her because I know the nerf is coming. What do you think?

Comments

  • ARTRA
    ARTRA Member Posts: 938

    I didnt buy her because i also see a huge nerf incoming.

    Perks are not good so not even those are worth after the incoming nerf.

  • Chocolate_Cosmos
    Chocolate_Cosmos Member Posts: 5,735

    You can fix her but you have to change lot of things.

    First, make her drone zone buff Skull Merchant in chase, similar how her two very rare addons do, but better and more powerfull (Haste + Action speed bonus). Rework these two addons.

    Second, make her drones cover a bit bigger zone (for loops and main buildings, etc.), However increase the minimum distance from each drone by a lot. So you can't just put drone one after another next to every close gen. You could still cover some gens but they would have to be some distance from each other (in 3-gen, max 2 gens covered by drones on avarage). Also increase her cooldown for getting the drones back and reactivating them (by few extra seconds) so she can't keep them online as offten.

    Third, either keep the Lock On Exposed or rework it so it is easier to get Lock On but it doesn't expose anymore, maybe Hindres them instead for several seconds (30?).

    She would still be area control killer but not so campy and also be able to chase people more.

  • Pulsar
    Pulsar Member Posts: 20,777

    So then she's basically just Knight?

    I mean, I guess that's better but idk if Knight is the standard we should shoot for.

  • Chocolate_Cosmos
    Chocolate_Cosmos Member Posts: 5,735

    No, Knight is quite different. I think I know where you coming from (Put stuff on the loop and Survivors hold W elsewhere) but Knight is 2v1. Skull Merchant is just 1 able to buff herself and observe area. Knight can also do 2 things at once (breaking and picking up, etc.)

  • Ayodam
    Ayodam Member Posts: 3,074
    edited March 2023

    I thought the same thing. The changes suggested here just make her Knight, who also excels at protecting 3-gens. In fact these changes make her better at protecting a 3-Gen, which is fine because it’s obviously what she’s meant to do. But idk why that person presented his changes as if they move her away from that strategy when they do not.

  • Chocolate_Cosmos
    Chocolate_Cosmos Member Posts: 5,735

    Better at 3-gen? No, she can't have a drone next to every gen anymore + she has longer cooldown.

    Only thing that would buff her is her chase.

  • Hi_Im_Chucky
    Hi_Im_Chucky Member Posts: 366

    i was super excited to get my hands on her and I played hard for three fun days. The outcry is too big, the nerf is coming, they will ruin her or “accidentally bug” her so that she feels terrible.

    Im going back to other games until the damage is done, tired of Killers I enjoy getting nuked. Can’t believe people won’t even let her be strong in one aspect of the game, it’s ridiculous.

    She isn’t even the best at 3genning nor is she powerful but she’s going to pay the price because she isn’t a chase Killer~

  • Xernoton
    Xernoton Member Posts: 5,821

    We don't often agree but you said it perfectly. They can't buff her without buffing her ability to hold 3-gens.

    That killer should have never made it past brainstorming. She needs a complete rework.

  • Aven_Fallen
    Aven_Fallen Member Posts: 16,222

    This is what I have said in another thread. They should basically pull her back for now and rework her. And then bring her back with a refund-option for the players who dont like her anymore. And this is the first time I ever said that they should pull back a Killer and do an immediate rework, because usually I am part of the "give it some time"-side.

    I cannot really imagine that they tested her properly. And Buffs or Nerfs will not be possible IMO. This would either make her even more oppressive or just way too weak.

  • RainehDaze
    RainehDaze Member Posts: 2,573

    "You can only cover two gens if three are close together" would suggest a Killer who's screwed out of using their power half the time because 'no, you're too close'. Imagine that restriction on the Game or Midwich. <_>

  • Chocolate_Cosmos
    Chocolate_Cosmos Member Posts: 5,735

    Then how would you change her? That's like the only way in her current state to prevent holding games forever.

  • Nazzzak
    Nazzzak Member Posts: 5,582

    I'm honestly not even sure what they can do. There's no way any of this was an oversight, because people had her figured out mere minutes into their first PTB game and she was still released.

  • RainehDaze
    RainehDaze Member Posts: 2,573

    Rework, probably. Maybe make things less about exposed (and not something Survivors can disable) and just buff her and give info. Maybe pivot hard into something weird like the maximum deployable increasing over the course of the match so if it does get dragged out, that's almost universal coverage (or universal over what's left)

    I think the distance limit is already pretty daft, it's already annoying enough when you get powers that go 'can't be used you're too close to a hook' and you just have to guess at it.

  • Xendritch
    Xendritch Member Posts: 1,842

    The more I play SM the more I am convinced this is a map issue. I was rather fortunate and got to play against two SWFs in a row on Ormond back to back and I wasn't meaning to but I learned something very interesting.

    First game I tried to 3 gen and there really wasn't one but I did main next to main on shack side and then there was a gen right outside shack so close enough to being a 3 gen. This team was extremely coordinated they would disarm the drones as soon as I left and get on the gens so it was nearly impossible for me to have drones up on all of them and spending all my time kicking gens and putting up drones felt incredibly useless. It took a little while but they got the gen done and all got out because they all did a different gen and all did drones the moment they could and no shot I could keep up. Is this because they were a little farther away than on a map like RPD? That may have played into it a bit for sure but the coordination also was just so good I feel like they still get out on a smaller map.

    The game after I get another SWF on Ormond and play for chases straight away and it goes very well and I 4k fairly easily even with them trying to coordinate. I took away from this two things.

    1. You can absolutely beat SM with good coordination and doing the drones as soon as she leaves an area.

    2. Map size plays a big role in why 3 gens are hard to beat.

    So honestly I think SM is completely fine I think certain maps like RPD need to be reworked and people need more time to learn how to play against merchant because on any decent sized map I think the 3 gen strat is beaten fairly easily with the right strategy.

  • Rickprado
    Rickprado Member Posts: 563

    I've always thought that: The drones should buff her a lot, instead of debuffing survivors only. Maybe, with these changes, Drone could give 60s of aura reading, instead of Exposed. With a Bigger AoE and less of start up time, Adriana could use her power to get stronger at stronger loops like Shack or main buildings. This way, Adriana would be incentivized to chase, instead of camping trigens

  • Killing_Time
    Killing_Time Member Posts: 894

    That's exactly what's going to happen. She's gonna get bombed and she'll sit for 3 years until they run out of stuff to do then they'll fix her.


    I think the biggest nuke she's about to get is a massive cool down, a massive reduction to the AOE of drones and for good measure, an add-on nerf.

  • Phasmamain
    Phasmamain Member Posts: 11,531
    edited March 2023

    Honestly doubt she’ll get changed. Considering knight can stall games equally and bhvr have been quiet on that

    I enjoy playing her but everyone is now DCing because they assume I’m going to 3 gen. Can’t say I blame them but it sucks regardless